The Pirate and the Runaway Bride

The sun was half-way down on its daily trip into the waves on the horizon and the Bluefish was sailing easily over the open water of the Caribbean off the coast of Puerto Rico when the lookout at the platform at the top of the topgallant mast sang out "Sail Ho, four points off the port bow, sailing Nor'east".

Captain Horace Riggins lifted his telescope and scanned the horizon, found the ship that was sailing in the opposite direction, and then smiled.

"She flies the Spanish flag and she's riding low in the water. Likely she is loaded with sugar, though most also carry Mexican pieces of eight. Sugar will bring a fair price in Nassau and any silver will be sauce for the pudding.

"She'll be heading for the ocean current off Barbados, but she isn't making much headway because she's beating into the wind that now favors our passage."

Captain Riggins turned to the man on his right, the First Mate named Thomas Bodine.

"Mister Bodine, maintain two watches on deck tonight and light only the binnacle. We'll come about once the sun sets and follow her lights. Spread as much canvas as the Bluefish can carry. We will catch her by daybreak and take her then."

Master Bodine said "Aye, Captain" and then left for the fo'c'sle to inform the crew. They would have heard the lookout's cry and wouldn't be surprised. He also had no reservations that Captain Riggins' plan would succeed. The "Bluefish" was a fast and maneuverable brig. She could easily overtake the full-rigged ship.

The crew of the Bluefish had executed this plan before. They would reduce sail to slow their progress on a Westerly heading until darkness fell. Then, the Bluefish would reverse course, set as much sail as could be safely carried, and begin chasing the other ship. All commands, the commands usually barked by the mate standing on the quarterdeck, would be passed along in whispers once the Bluefish was within a league of the larger ship. Before that, the winds would carry voices away from the larger ship instead of toward her.

When the Bluefish was within a league of the other ship, the crew would silently load the deck guns, run them out, and the gunners would stand by with their matches at the ready.

The Bluefish would pace her until dawn and then close to within firing range. The other ship would probably know the Bluefish was stalking her then, but could do nothing about it without making a slow turn to enable her to use her broadside guns in defense. As soon as she did, the Bluefish would also make the turn, but the Bluefish could make the turn faster. When the larger ship was halfway through her turn, the Bluefish would send her volley of cannonballs into the sides and stern of the other ship.

The captain of the large ship would then have two choices. He could continue to fight, or he could surrender. His ability to fight would have been severely diminished by the initial shots from the Bluefish. Some of her gun ports would be just open holes in her sides and the cannonballs would have damaged many of the other guns and killed some of the crew. Taking further cannonballs would only kill more of her crew and would eventually send her to the bottom or strand her on one of the islands that dotted the Caribbean.

Most captains would surrender in order to prevent that. There was always more sugar and tobacco and other goods including gold and silver to be had in the Spanish controlled islands of the Caribbean. By surrendering the cargo, the larger ship had a good chance of survival, and losing the occasional cargo was cheaper and faster than building a new ship and recruiting and training a new crew.

The pirates who frequented the waters of the Caribbean knew this as well, and their aim was to cause a ship to surrender out of practicality rather than fight until most of her crew had been killed and she was near sinking.

The pirates also knew they were more of a nuisance to the Spanish Crown than a real threat. The Spanish Crown allowed piracy to continue only because doing so required fewer Spanish Navy ships and crews in the Caribbean. Were the pirates to begin the wholesale killing of crews and sinking of ships, the Spanish Crown would have reacted by sending an armada of men of war to hunt down and kill every pirate in the area.

Captain Riggins was roused from sleep by a knock on the door to his cabin and the second mate's voice.

"Cap'n Riggins, it's mornin' and we be a little over a league from the ship."

Captain Riggins quickly dressed and then went to the quarterdeck. Mister Bodine was there and looking through his telescope. When he heard steps behind him, he lowered the telescope and turned.

"Mornin' Cap'n Riggins. She's setting more sail so I think she's seen us."

Captain Riggins nodded.

"Aye, likely so. She can't get away now though. Guns ready?"

Mister Bodine glanced down at the main deck and then back to Captain Riggins.

"Aye, sir. Port and starboard. Three on each side with chain shot for the rigging and six with ball. The sea is calm this morning and the crew is ready."

"Run up the black flag", replied Captain Riggins. "With luck, we'll be done with her and on our way before the sun is overhead."

Within half an hour the Bluefish had closed the distance between her and the larger ship to within firing range. As the large ship made her turn onto the starboard tack, Captain Riggins gave the order to follow her. At about the same time, he made out her name -- Santa Isabella. When the Bluefish was broadside to the Santa Isabella's aft quarter, Captain Riggins shouted, "Fire".

A second later the nine guns on the port deck of the Bluefish erupted in flames and dense smoke as the nine charges left the muzzles on their way to the Santa Isabella. There was a cracking sound as the mainmast and foremast rigging was torn away by the chain shot. When the smoke cleared, Captain Riggins smiled to himself. The chain shot, two balls linked by half a fathom of heavy chain, had ripped though the starboard shrouds and backstay on the main topgallant mast and snapped off the entire mast and sails of the fore royals. Without the support of the backstay, the main topgallant was leaning toward the bow from the pressure on her sails. A few moments later, the main topgallant mast and yards came crashing down on the deck and took the foresail mast and yards with it.

The other six guns had found their mark as well. Three of the aft gunports of the Santa Isabella had been blown open and he could see that the cannons inside had come loose from the gun tackles. Those same cannons had likely careened around the interior of the ship, wreaking havoc among the remaining gun crews. The large ship wasn't damaged beyond repair, but she could no longer hope to win the fight.

The guns on the Bluefish had been quickly reloaded and run out, this time all with ball. Captain shouted, "Fire", and when the smoke again cleared, Captain Riggins saw that four more gunports on the main deck had been blown apart and there was a gaping hole in the planking of the quarterdeck. As he watched, the large ship slowed and began turning to port. A look at her rudder told him the reason. It was hard to port, probably because the ball that had burst open the quarterdeck had either killed the helmsman or cut the rudder cables.

Captain Riggins gave the order to shorten sail when the Bluefish was abreast of the Santa Isabella. He chuckled to himself then. With no foremast and only half a mainmast, the captain of the large ship had run his white flag of surrender up the short mizzenmast at the aft end of the ship. He gave the order, "Boarders Away", and then watched as his crew threw grappling hooks over the side of the disabled ship and then used the capstan on the Bluefish to pull the two ships together.

There was no resistance from the crew of the Santa Isabella. They had thrown down their muskets and pistols and stood lined up against the port rail. The captain, a tall and slender man with a beard, approached Captain Riggins.

"Sir, I surrender to you. I assume you will take my cargo and then depart with your crew of heathens and leave us to make such repairs as we are able. I give you my word that none of my crew will intervene."

Captain Riggins laughed.

"You speak English well for a Spaniard. Why would I kill you and your crew and save you the embarrassment of telling the Spanish Crown that you lost your cargo to a brig? Would that I could be there to hear your explanation, but I believe it would be more to my advantage to do as you say. I will leave six of my men to make sure none of your crew decides to portray himself as a hero. Should they do so, my men will shoot them dead, and you and your officers shall be hung from your own yardarms."

Captain Riggins paused and then laughed again.

"I see it is quite impossible to hang you from your own yardarm as yours all appear to be laying on your deck. Ah, I know. I will hang you and your mates from the bowsprit and let the sharks nibble at your toes while you strangle."

Captain Riggins turned to Master Bodine then.

"Mister Bodine, take three men and search the ship. We must find out if we have earned a just reward for taking so much trouble."

Ten minutes later, one of the seamen ran up to Captain Riggins.

"Cap'n, Mister Bodine sent me to tell you we have found six chests of silver and many casks of sugar and coffee in the main hold. He is searching the passenger and captain's cabins."

Captain Riggins smiled.

"Take two men and rig me a tackle from the what is left of the main to the mizzen and then begin bringing the silver up to the main deck. The quartermaster will do an accounting before we transfer it to the Bluefish."

The seaman had just turned to carry out the order when there was the loud crack of a pistol shot from the aft of the ship. Seconds later, a second seaman ran from the stair to the second deck and up to Captain Riggins.

"Sir, please come quick. Mister Bodine has been shot by a woman in the captain's cabin. He bleeds so much I fear he is dying."

As Captain Riggins followed the seaman to the stair, he asked, "A woman? Are you certain?"

"Aye, Sir. There be two womens in there, a white young'un and a old black un. It be the young'un who shot Mister Bodine."

When Captain Riggins entered the captain's cabin, it was as the seamen had said. The one remaining seaman was holding both women at bay with a pistol in one hand and a cutlass in the other. Mister Bodine lay on the floor groaning in pain. Blood stained his shirt in the area of his left shoulder. Captain Riggins saw a small pistol much like the one he always kept loaded and on his table lying there.

The young woman appeared to be about the age of twenty and the other woman old enough to be her mother, though the two were vastly different in appearance.

The older woman was a black woman and somewhat portly. She was bent at the waist and was sobbing repeating "Jezi, pa kite l touye nou" over and over. The younger woman stood upright with defiance and hatred in her eyes, and waved a dagger at the men in front of her. At the captain's smile she said in a quiet but firm tone, "Smile if you will, but touch me and you will die with my knife through your black heart."

Captain Riggins chuckled.

"Ah, the wench speaks English to me instead of Spanish. That means she has received more than a basic education. She must have a wealthy family. Perhaps we shall see how much her father will pay to get his daughter back with her honor intact."

He then scowled at the young woman.

"Spanish bitch, if you intend to kill me, you should have chosen a longer blade. By the time you are close enough to prick my skin, I will have run you through with my cutlass. It would be a waste to spoil such magnificent breasts though. Perhaps I would just force the dagger from your grip and then have you feel the thrust of my manhood. Such would ruin my chances of relieving your father of some of his wealth as ransom, but it would give me more pleasure than killing you and you perhaps might enjoy the experience as well."

Captain Riggins then shouted at the black woman.

"Woman, stop that incessant wailing. I know not what you say and your voice is painful to my ears."

When the woman did not stop, Captain Riggins drew the pistol from his belt. Before he could level it at the black woman, the young woman stepped between them and sneered.

"Is this how a pirate proves his bravery, by killing a woman who is only praying to not be killed? She can speak and understand Spanish and English, but when her emotions take her, she forgets and speaks in Creole. I would kill you in a heartbeat and not shed a tear. Martine does you no harm yet her cries seem to upset you more than the thought of your own death. Should you end her life, you will have to end mine first. If you do not, for as long as I live I shall find a way to end yours."

Captain Riggins frowned. The sound of the shot had brought four more of his crew to the captain's quarters to see what had happened. This young bitch had assaulted his bravery in front of his men. He could not allow that thought to spread through the crew and spread it would. The result would be a mutiny and the election of a new captain. Such was the right of men who served under the black flag of piracy, and also the method by which he had been chosen to captain the Bluefish.

He knew he must choose his course carefully. If he killed the black woman, that would prove the girl's words true, yet if he did not kill them both, his men would think him cowed by a young girl.

Knowing he must demonstrate his leadership, Captain Riggins put the pistol back into his belt, and then addressed the young girl.

"Girl, by what name do you go?"

"I am Felicia Maria Corrizales Alborado."

Captain Riggins shook his head.

"The Spaniards love of multiple names is both pompous to hear and tiring to speak. You shall be known as only Felicia on the Bluefish. I will not kill you, Felicia, nor will I kill your servant...Martine did you call her? I will not kill Martine. Instead, I will lock you both in a cabin on the Bluefish with Mister Bodine. You shot him. You will see to it that he recovers. If you refuse or if he dies, you and your precious Martine will be sold to one of the brothels in Nassau..."

He smiled then.

"...after I have plucked the first petals from your flower.

"I doubt it would be a new experience for Martine. The number of mulatto bastards in these islands are proof most female slaves have been bedded by their masters at one time or another. For you, it would be rather eye-opening, shall we say, though it is not your eyes the men who frequent the brothels would open for you."

He turned to the two seamen then.

"Hayes, Richards, take two other men to carry Mister Bodine and escort these women to Mister Bodine's cabin. From his cabin they may use the gallery. It would not do to have women walking to the bow to relieve themselves. I fear not what the crew might do to them, but this young bitch might cause one of them harm.

"Post a sentry outside the door once they are locked inside. The sentry will bring to them the same meals the crew is served, and should Felicia need medical supplies to treat Mister Bodine's wound, such that we have on board will be given to her."

With that, Captain Riggins left to oversee the transfer of the silver and such other goods as the Bluefish could stuff in her hold.

When the two seamen picked up Mister Bodine, one by his feet and the other by his shoulders, he cried out in pain. Felicia yelled to stop them.

"Fools, his wound is in his shoulder. I can not heal him if you kill him before you get him to the other ship. Put him on a blanket and carry him that way."

Once Mister Bodine had been rolled onto a blanket, the men picked him up and walked to the stair. The seaman called Hayes waved his pistol at Felicia and Martine.

"Lay that dagger on the captain's table and do not try to escape. You have no place to go unless you fancy swimming with the sharks."

He grinned then.

"Mayhaps it would be better if you try to escape. The men in the fo'c'sl would like a bit o' cunt afore retiring for the evening, and the first watch could entertain you of a morning...after Cap'n Riggins takes his pleasure, of course."

Felicia sneered as she placed the dagger on the table.

"I would die before I allowed you to touch me or Martine, but I would find a way to take your life as you took mine."

It was a difficult task to transfer Mister Bodine to the deck of the Bluefish because her main deck was lower than the main deck of the Santa Isabella. Two men still on the Bluefish rigged a tackle from the main yard, and used it to hoist Mister Bodine from one ship to the other.

The women had a more difficult time. They were forced to climb down the cleats on the side of the Santa Isabella and then time the step onto the rail of the Bluefish as it rose and fell with the waves. Felicia was agile enough to do so. Martine was not. She stood on the lowest cleat with fear in her eyes. Only when Felicia reached out and took her hand did Martine attempt the step, and nearly went into the water when a wave pushed the ships apart. It was only because Felicia pulled with all her strength that the large black woman fell from the rail and onto the deck of the Bluefish.

The two seamen, Hayes and Richards, followed them across and then took them to the cabin where they would be imprisoned.

Mister Bodine was already on the cot in the room when Felicia and Martine were roughly pushed through the door. Martine took one look and asked, "Where sleep?"

Felicia frowned.

"Apparently we shall sleep on the floor, Martine. Now, let us look at this man and try to save his life. I will need your help if we are to do so."

Mister Bodine had fainted from the pain of being taken from one ship to the other, so he felt nothing when Felicia and Martine removed his jacket by rolling him from side to side. His shirt would have to come off, and the fact that he wore a shirt with buttons rather than the simple pull-over shirt of a common seaman made that task a simple one. After again rolling him from side to side, Martine pulled off the bloody shirt and threw it onto the floor of the cabin.

When she turned to look at Mister Bodine, Martine smiled. Felicia was looking at the man with her mouth agape.

"He be strong man, no?"

Felicia closed her mouth then, but she still stared at Mister Bodine's bare chest, at the strong muscles that lay just beneath the pale skin covered with coarse hair. She had never seen a grown man's chest before. The proprieties of Spanish society forbid a man from going without his shirt every bit as strongly as it forbid a woman to show her bare breasts. Only when a couple was married was such an intimate display allowed.

Felicia closed her eyes to rid her mind of the sight, then opened them again to look at the wound in Mister Bodine's shoulder. The bleeding had nearly stopped but the wound was still difficult to see.

"Martine, bring me a basin of water and a cloth if you can find them. We must first clean this wound."

Martine searched the small cabin but did not find anything. When she told this to Felicia, the girl walked to the door and pounded on it.

"I need water and some clean cloth, and be quick about it or I shall tell that horse's rear of a captain that it was you who is responsible for this man's death."

A few minutes later, the door opened and an arm appeared with a bucket of water and a few rags. Felicia dipped a finger into the bucket, put the finger to her tongue, and then shouted, "Stupid fool. I need fresh water, not water from the sea."

The arm took the bucket away and Felicia heard the door lock. Another few minutes later the bolt slid open and the arm appeared with a pewter pitcher. Again, Felicia tasted it, and then took the pitcher. The arm left and the bolt on the door was slid home again.